The present invention generally relates to packaging, and particularly to a method and apparatus for stacking products, and in the most preferred form for stacking trays.
In the shipping of products, there is often a need to stack and then shrink wrap two stacked products. One environment where such a need exists is in the food industry where products are loaded into cartons, either individually or in packs, and then the cartons are stacked together before shrink wrapping. Although stacking apparatus are currently available, they are disadvantageous for several reasons. For example, prior stackers operated at relatively slow rates of speed and particularly were unable to stack products at the rate to match the rate tat loading machines load products into cartons. Further, prior stackers were complicated in design including many moveable parts and thus are also deficient in the areas of cost, size, wear and tear, and maintenance. Thus, a need has arisen for methods and apparatus which overcome the disadvantages and deficiencies of prior stackers and which are otherwise advantageous.